There is known an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which three-dimensionally scans an ultrasonic wave applied to an object and displays a three-dimensional image in real time. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus acquires three-dimensional ultrasonic images of an object by three-dimensionally scanning an ultrasonic beam and images the object. This apparatus can also reconstruct a slice image from an arbitrary imaging region (view) of a target anatomical region based on acquired three-dimensional image data by arithmetic processing.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is used to non-invasively examine an anatomical region in an object. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be suitably used for stress echo examination for cardiac function examination, in particular. In stress echo examination, first of all, this apparatus acquires ultrasonic images of a plurality of views of the heart under a predetermined protocol in a normal state of an object, i.e., a state before the application of stress (which will be referred to as a rest phase hereinafter). The apparatus then acquires ultrasonic images of a plurality of views of the heart again under the predetermined protocol in a state in which exercise stress or pharmacological stress is applied to the heart of the object to increase the heart rate, i.e., a state in which stress is applied to the heart (which will be referred to as a post phase hereinafter). Comparatively observing the images acquired in the different phases allows to evaluate the presence/absence of an ischemic region and a deterioration in cardiac function.
Stress echo examination, however, requires images from a plurality of views for the observation of the heart, and needs to quickly acquire data. In addition, since stress is applied to the heart of the object during examination, quick examination is required to minimize the load on the object.
According to existing techniques, first of all, an examiner (operator) acquires images of a plurality of views in a rest phase. The examiner then produces a state of a post phase by applying stress on the heart of the object, and acquires, in the post phase, images of the same views as those in the rest phase.
In such a procedure, however, the apparatus needs to acquire images of the same views as those in a rest phase before the heart rate decreases, with the heart rate being kept high. It is therefore not easy for the examiner to expertly display desired views. Such operation demands skill. That is, an unskilled examiner takes time and effort to perform such examination, resulting in a deterioration in operating efficiency. This leads to a great decrease in the number of examinations that can be performed per day.